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Task Force Purpose

Demand for health care, both domestically and globally, is growing in developing countries; however, access to care continues to be limited in most countries.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative condition that affects 500,000 individuals in the US and 4.1 million people worldwide, figures that are expected to increase twofold by 2030. Patients living in Brazil, China, and India will collectively account for 69% of the global burden of countries examined by 2030, but worldwide, most people with Parkinson's disease have likely not been diagnosed and never been treated.

In China, for example, there are 2 million people with PD but only 50 PD specialists in the entire country. In some regions of the world, none of those who have been identified as having Parkinson's disease have sought or received care for their condition. Forty percent of countries do not have access to anti-parkinsonian therapies. Together, the majority of people with Parkinson's disease in the world likely have not been diagnosed or received medical care for their condition.

Using simple, user-friendly technology, we can extend the reach of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society to provide chronic care to any patient, anywhere in the world. We can educate providers and health care professionals around the world on Parkinson's disease care and management. We can also leverage technology to increase awareness and effectiveness of research in Parkinson's disease.

To help increase access to care and to train providers around the world using technology, the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society launched a Telemedicine Task Force in 2012. As part of this effort, we have identified pilot projects in care and education that can lay the foundation for reaching the majority of people with Parkinson's disease.

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About The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) is a professional society of over 6,500 clinicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the care of patients with movement disorders through education and research.